Temperature regulator



Dec. J. v. GIESLER 1,784,063

TEMPERATURE REGULATOR Filed April 19, 28 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 mentor Jean K-Gz'esen Cttornegs I Dec. 9, 1930.

' J. V. GIESLER TEMPERATURE REGULATOR I Filed April' 19, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jean, 14 Gieser- Patented Dec. 9, 1930 HAN V. GESLEB, OI KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE,

oonm, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNBSEE, A

ASSIGNOB TO THE FULTON SYLPHON CORPORATION OF DELAWARE rmm'rm REGULATOR Application m A ril 10,

This invention relates to valve mechanism for temperature regulators and more particularl to thermostatically controlled valve mec anism for regulating the flow of coolin 'g' medium in the cooling1 systems of interna combustion en 'nes w ereby the operating temperature the latter is controlled.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved thermostatically controlled valve mechanism whereby the flow of medium may be controlled ina plurality of passages in succession.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character just described embodying an extensible and collapsible corrugated wall adapted to expand t roughout its length in opposite directions and having valves operative y associated with the opposite ends thereof.

Another object of this invention is to prolast reby-pass vide valve mechanism of the ty ferred to. wherein a main valve and a valve are adapted to be operated in sion. Another object of this invention is to provide a thermostatically controlled valve mechanism embod ing a bellows thermostat and a air of val ves wherein one valve is adap to be moved by expansion of the bellows and the other valve is adapted to be moved thereafter by expansion of the bellows.

further object is to provide a unitary structure of the character just referred to embodying a main valve and a by-pass valve, one of said valves being adapted'to be actuated at a lower temperature than the other valve. 7 w i A further ob'ect of the invention is to provide a device 0 the above character embodying a main valve and a by-pass valve in which the weight of the valvesand thermostat is balanced against the pressure of the circulating medium which tends to open the main valve. Other objects relate to the provision of thermostatically controlled valve mechanism of the above character which is sensitive and certain in action,.inexpensive, and easily installed without special tools or fittin s.

Two embodiments of the invention are SUCCGS- me. Serial No. 871,883.

shown-in the drawin but it is to be understood that other em odiments are possible, and that the disclosure in the drawings is for the urpose of illustration only, and the scope of t e invention is not limit d to the specific structures disclosed, but is defined by the claims appended to the specification.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views Fig. 1 is a vertical mid-sectional view of the device assembled in operative position;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device removed from its mounting;

Fig. 3 is a disassembled perspective view of'the device; v

Fig. 4 is a vertical mid-sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a pers ective view of this embodiment removed rom its mounting; and

Fig. 6 is a pers ective view of the lower portion of this em odiment and a portion of the valve seat with which it is adapted to cooperate. 1

In the form shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the valve mechanism constituting the subject matter of the present invention is mounted on a cylinder head casting 4 having an integral cylindrical extension 5 constituting part of the water jacket of an internal combustion engine, (not shown). The end of the extension 5 is flanged at 6 to cooperate with the flange 7 of a coupling member 8- having the radiator hose connection 9 formed integral therewith. Bolts 10 are adapted. to pass through registering openings in flanges 6 and 7 and clamp members 5 and 8 together to form-the connection for the flow of the cooling fluid from the cylinder head 4 to the radiator hose, not shown.

At the base of the extension 5, an opening 11 is formed in the cylinder head casting' and extends downwardly through the cylinder jacket to the inlet opening of the usualcirculating pump of the internal combustion engine, thus forming a by-pass for the cooling fluid which when open allows the fluid to circulate without passing through the radiator.

The thermostatic controlling device is mounted in the extension 5 above the opening 11 and comprises a main valve seat 12, shown as carried by a ring 13 clamped between the flanges 6 and 7 by bolts 10 passing through registering openings therein, or the ring 13 may itself form the valve seat. The main valve seat 12 is here shown as provided with depending arms 14 which support a guide and stop member 15 formed integral therewith, or said arms may be formed integrally with the ring.13;

The valve disk 16 is adapted to engage the seat 12 and is attached in any suitable manner to the valve stem 17 which has a sliding fit within the guide and stop 15 and is attached at its lower end to a bellows head 18. The bellows head 18 is secured to the upper end of a flexible wall or bellows 19 and is sealed thereto in any suitable manner as by soldering. The opposite end of-the flexible wall or bellows 19 is attached in any suitable manner as by soldering to a' lower head 20 which is adapted to act as a valve .to control the opening of the by-pass 11'. The valve disk 16 may be provided with a bleeder opening 32 to allow the, escape of trapped. air and to assure suflicient circulation of the medium around the thermostat.

The valve stem 17 may be provided with an opening 21 therethrough permitting the introduction of a thermosensitive fluid within the chamber formed by the flexible wall or bellows 19 and the heads 18 and 20. The opening 21 may be sealed in any suitable way, as by means of a cork 22 and solder 23, as is usual in devices of this character.

The valve seat 12 and ring 13 are provided with registering openings, and a pair of frame members 24 are provided with lugs 25 extending through the registering openings and riveted over onto the valve seat to attach the parts rigidly together, or the frame members may be carried directly by the ring 13 either with or without a separate valve seat member suitably secured thereto. The frame members 24 extend downwardly alongside the bellows and are provided at their lower ends with downwardly extending lugs 26 which extend through openings 27 in upwardly extending arms 28 on t e lower bellows head 20. The lugs 26 act as guides for the bellows head 20, and the shoulders 29 at the upper end of the lugs 26 act as sto s which determine the upper position 0 the bellows head 20, which also forms a by-pass valve member.

A compression spring 30 is mounted be.

tween the stop member 15 and the valve disk 16, and is of suflicient strengthto hold the valve.16 open against the weight of the associated parts. Preferably the interior of the bellows is below atmospheric pressure at ordinary temperatures so that the valve 16 is held closed by reason of the excess pressure of the atmosphere thereon, but if thebellows is punctured so that it expands by reason of its inherent resiliency the valve 16 is held open at all temperatures.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings is similar. to that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that the compression spring 30 has been omitted, and a leaf spring 31 is attached at its center to the center of the by-pass valve member 20,'.and engages at its ends the uppgr end of the by-pass 11'. Notches 31 may formed in the rim of by-pass 11' to center the spring 31 if deemed desirable.

In this embodiment of the invention also the bellows preferably has its inside pressure less than that of the atmosphere at ordinary temperatures, and the normal length of the bellows 19' is such that it will hold the valve 16' open in case the bellows is punctured, the leaf spring 31 holding the arms 28 on the by-pass valve member 20' against the stop shoulders 29'.

The operation of the device illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is as follows:

A charge of thermo-sensitive fluid is sealed within the bellows 19, preferably under a partial vacu m, and the parts are assembled in operative elation as shown in Fi ure 1 of the drawin s. The valve 16 is he (1 in its closed position and the valve 20 is held in its open position by the contraction of the bellows 19 caused by the pressure of the atmosphere. When the engine is started the circulation of the cooling medium therefore takes place through the by-pass opening 11 and none of the cooling medium is allowed to flow through the radiator except the small amount which passes through the bleeder opening 32.

When the temperature of the cooling medium reaches a predetermined point, the

thermostat becomes operative, and tends toopen the valve 16 allowing circulation of the cooling medium through the radiator. The pressure of the 5 ring 30 on the under side of the valve 16 1s suflicient to support the weight of the valve and its associated parts, and maintains the arms 28 on the valve member 20 against their stop shoulders 29 until the valve 16 is raised so far that the bellows head 18 engages the guide and stop 15. During this tlme the by-pass remains entirely open and the temperature is controlled by the position of the main valve 16. If the Upon a lowerin of the temperature of the cooling medium, t e operation of the valves takes place in the reverse order that is, the

valve 20 is opened first to allow the-cooling medium to circulate through the by-pass 11,

and upon a further decrease in temperature the valve 16 closes and shuts oil the circulation of the cooling medium to the radiator.

If thebellows 19 should become punctured in any way, the-partial vacuum within the thermostatwill be relieved and the spring 30 will hold the valve 16 open and allow circulation to take place through the radiator. If the bellows 19 does not have inherent resilience to expand upon equalization of exterior and interior pressure the spring 30 may be selected of suflicientstrength to open the valve 16 when the bellowsispunctured. The operation of the device illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6 is substantially-similar to that 'ust described. When the parts are a'ssem led as shown in Figure 4, the'thermostat maintains the valve16' upon its seat, and the arms 28' on the by-pass valve .20 against their upper stops 29'. The leaf spring 31 also maintains the arms on the by-pass valve member 20' against their stops 29, so

- that the rise in temperature of the cooling medium first opens the valve 16 until the.

head 18' engages the stop 15. A further rise in temperature of the cooling medium causes the leaf spring 31 to be compressed by the downward movement of the lower end of the thermostat, and the valve 20 is caused to close the by-pass opening 11'.

In this embodiment of the invention'the free length of bellows 19' is preferably sufiicient to hold the valve 16' 0 on should the bellows 19' become puncture so that when the partial vacuum within the thermostat is relieved upon puncture, the expansion of the bellows will maintain the valve 16 in open position and allow circulation of the cooling medium through the radiator, the valve 20 being held open by leaf spring 31.

It will be seen that there is here provided a thermostatically actuated valve mechanism wherein the flow of the cooling medium may be controlled in a plurality of passages in succession in response to different ranges of temperature ofthecoolin medium. Furthermore, the thermostat is odily movable, and the main valve and the by-pass valve are connected directly thereto at its opposite ends so that the structure is a simple, compact, unitary device which is economical to construct and readily assembled and installed.

lVhile two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted thereto, as the same is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, while changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. Reference will therefore be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

for urging the Valves inone direction.

What is claimed is 1. In combination, a thermo-sensitive element having a flexible tubularexternal wall and a valve at each end, means whereby expansion of the element opens one valve and closes the other, a support for. said element permitting it to expand successively in opposite directions and a spring for biasing one of the valves away fromits seat, whereby the valvesare operated in sequence.

2. In combination, a pair of alined axially movable valves, a pair of seats limiting the movement of the valves in one direction, a pair of'stops limiting the movement of the valves in the opposite di'rectioman expansible heat sensitive element mounted between the planes of said valves and normally drawing'them together, a support for said element, said element being mounted on said support to expand from opposite ends, and yielding means coacting with said element whereby it expands in one direction before it expands in the other.

, 3.- In a thermostatically operated valve mechanism for controlling the flow of cooling. medium in the cooling system of an internal combustion en ine, a main valve, a by-pass valve, a mova le thermostat located between the planes of the valves with its ends mounted thereon and normally drawing the 5 main valve closed and the y-pass valve open, a support for said thermostat permitting expansion thereof throughout its length in opposite directions and resilient means 4. In combination, a thermo-sensitive element having an exterior corrugated tubular wall and a valve at each end, means whereby expansion of said element opens' one valve and closes the other, .a support for said ele- 1 ment permitting said element to expand throughout it length in opposite directions, and a spring opposing expansion of said element in one direction whereby said valves are operated in succession.

5. In combination, a thermo-sensitive element comprising a normally contracted tubular corrugated exterior wall adapted to expand throughout its length in opposite directions and having a valve at each end, and a spring opposing expansion of said element in one direction whereby the valves are operated in sequence.

6. In combination, a thermo-sensitive element having a flexible tubular external wall and a valve at each end, means mounting said element-whereby it may expand successively in opposite directions, and yieldingmeans whereby expansion of the element operates the valves in sequence.

- 7. In combination, a thermo-sensitive element having a flexible tubular external wall and a valve at each end, means whereby expansion of said element'operates said valves, a support for said element, said element be 1'0 ing expansible in opposite directions with respect to said support, and means opposing expansion of said element in one direction until said element has expanded inthe opposite direction.

8. In combination, a thermo-sensitive element having-a corrugated lateral wall expansible on increase in temperature and provided with a valve at each end, means whereby expansion of the element operates said valves, a support for said element, said element being expansible in both directions and throughout its length with respect to said support, and a spring tending to move one of the valves away from its seat, whereby said valves are operated in sequence.

9. In combination, a pair of alined axially movable valves, an expansible heat sensitive element connected to said valves and disposed between the planes of the same, a support for said element providing an abutment, said element being mounted on said support to expand successively in opposite directions as the temperature rises, and means normally urging said element against said abutment.

10. In a thermostatically operated valve mechanism for controllingthe flow of cooling medium in the cooling system of an internal combustion engine, a pair of valves, a thermostat having a normally contracted corrugated tubular wall connected at its op-' posite ends to said valves, a support for said thermostat, said thermostat being mounted on said support to expand successively in oposite directions, and means normally urglng said thermostat in one direction.

11. Apparatus of the class described comprising a normally closed main valve, a normally open by-pass valve, aithermostat including an extensible bellows for actuating said valves, a support for said thermostat,

said thermostat being mounted on said sup-Y port to expand successively in opposite directions as the temperature rises, and means whereby an C(llliillZfitlOIl of the pressures 1nside and outside thebellows will open the main valve and a positive pressure within the bellows will close the by-pass valve.

12. In combination, a thermo-sensitive element having a normally contracted flexible tubular wall, a valve connected thereto at each end thereof, a support for said element, said support. cooperating with said element to provide an abutment and said element being mounted on said support to expand successively in opposite directions, and a spring cooperating with said element to aid the expansion thereof in one direction upon increase in temperature.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

- JEAN V. GIESLER. 

